


Insight

by RainbowArches



Series: Safe House [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 02:38:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6593347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowArches/pseuds/RainbowArches
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick gets a visitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Insight

Nick plugged in the night light, said goodnight, and gently closed the door. The corridor was a brighter, noisier scene thanks to the stubborn little base residents who refused to sleep. He weaved effortlessly between them, not bothering to herd them into their rooms. He’d done all the morning work by himself; Mike and Akela could finish up on their own. He did let one little girl giving Akela a hard time know with a Look that he was profoundly unimpressed with her antics and she quieted down. Mike seemed to be having fun letting the triplets rope him into piggybacks so Nick left him to it.

He didn’t turn the lights on when he entered his office ( _their_ office, he reminded himself, though Mike and Akela never used it). He took off his eye patch and tossed it on the desk, dropping heavily into his chair with a tired sigh. He flicked away the screensaver so that he could see his work. He hated this part because everything was so uncertain. It was hard to plan for a future that was still very up in the air. Was he making an eighteen-year commitment or would things settle down enough that he could set up his Inhuman foster care system? Then he could retire for real. Though that seemed unlikely now, no matter how things turned out.

He closed his eyes. He was still new at this. Normally his alarm would go off automatically but it didn’t always and he had to run through a mental checklist to make sure everyone was alright.

Hill, Sitwell, and Weaver’s lot were fine. All their occupied safe houses were fine. Alisha was fine. Laura and the kids were fine.

He stopped there. Much as he wanted to check on Clint and Natasha, he couldn’t just up and leave if they were in danger. He didn’t want to divert attention onto himself and lead the wrong people back here. Plus if he checked and his alarm didn’t go off, did that mean they were—

His eyes shot open and his fingers found the button under his desk that would alert Mike and Akela of trouble. Then he realised the intruder probably _was_ Mike or Akela. His alarm wasn’t going off so there wasn’t any danger.

“You know better than to sneak up on,” he said to the room at large. “Get over here. I nearly shot your brains out.”

That wasn’t true. They knew he didn’t keep a gun anymore, not with all these mischievous kids running around. But if he _did_ have a gun the intruder would definitely be regretting their little prank right now.

A young woman, not Akela, not anyone he immediately recognized, stepped out of the shadows, smiling somewhat apologetically but mostly just pleased that she got the jump on him. Nick’s alarm still didn’t go off. He wondered if he was losing it. The woman strolled closer to the desk and stopped a safe distance in front of it, either to placate him or to demonstrate some sense of self-preservation.

Nick frowned. He did recognize this woman. He’d heard about her enough, certainly. “Agent Skye?”

She squared her shoulders, badge in hand glinting. “Daisy Johnson, Director of SHIELD.” The badge disappeared and she folded her hands in front of her. “I’m here to talk to you about the Secret Warriors Initiative. Coulson told me to say that. We don’t call it an initiative.”

“Hm.” Right. Nick leaned back and linked his fingers together, hands forming a wall in front of his stomach. So he wasn’t losing it after all. Except that she _had_ got the jump on him. He knew she was good but she shouldn’t be able to catch him unawares in his own office in his own most secret base. No one should be able to do that. Obviously he wasn’t keeping himself in as good shape as he should. “Have a seat. Director.”

Johnson settled into the chair opposite him and crossed her legs.

“Did Mike let you in?”

She smiled but didn’t answer. “I take it Coulson hasn’t been in touch with you,” she said instead.

“I haven’t been in touch with him,” he corrected. “Sounds like I have a lot of catching up to do. What’s he up to?”

Johnson shrugged. “I think he’s…” she pretended to try to recall something. “Backpacking across Europe.”

“Yeah? I tried that. It sucked.”

She snorted softly, the easy smile still fixed on her face.

“What can I do for you, Director?”

“Well…” Johnson shifted in her chair like she’d been sitting in it for too long and glanced around the office like she was inspecting it. “This looked like an Inhuman hotspot. I was concerned, what with…”

Nick nodded and she continued.

“I wanted to make sure everyone was okay, see if anyone was interested in a job, but now that I know it’s… what are you running here exactly? An orphanage?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, I get the idea and why it’s necessary, so I’m just going to leave you alone.”

She looked really sad. Not disappointed, just sad. It took Nick a second to remember why this would make her feel that way. “We managed to relocate a few families. And some of these kids will be going back to their parents. We’re looking into permanent homes for the rest. Once everything settles down it shouldn’t be too hard.”

Johnson nodded once. She looked like she didn’t feel better but appreciated the gesture.

“Don’t suppose you know any Inhuman adults looking to adopt?”

“I’ll ask around.”

She didn’t move, so Nick knew there was more, but she didn’t seem in a hurry to broach the subject.

“Any idea how much longer we can expect to stay here?”

“I wish I did,” she said. She moved to the edge of her seat so she could fold her hands on the desk. Her gaze turned sharp as she got to her point. “You probably don’t need the whole recruitment spiel--“

“No, c’mon, give me the spiel. I haven’t been on the other end of it in—“ he paused. “Forty years.”

The corner of her mouth twitched up but she continued. “—but if you had the opportunity, you know, when everything dies down, would you be interested?”

“In the Secret Warriors?”

She nodded.

He sighed through his nose, swivelling his chair thoughtfully. “You know, I’m much better at heading those teams than the other way around, and when this is all over I’m not sure I want to do that anymore.” He’d considered settling down after Avengers Tower mark 2 got finished, but then he got superpowers and the thought of settling down seemed laughable. Not because he no longer wanted to but because he couldn’t imagine he’d ever be able to. But this time he’d go solo. Everything stayed intact a lot longer when the only person he had to keep in check was himself. So long as his friends didn’t die.

“Well at least let me help you with… what can you do anyway?”

Nick bit the inside of his cheek, thinking of the most concise way to explain it. “Whenever someone’s in danger I get this overwhelming sensation, like my skin turns to ice and it’s melting. It’s unpleasant but useful.”

“And you always know exactly who it is? Does that happen with anyone?”

“I have to already know them but yeah, I always know who.”

Johnson was getting earnest and excited as she considered the possibilities of his powers. On anyone else it would alarm him but on her it was encouraging. “You should let me help you. Do you realise how many lives you could save once you’ve honed your powers? You could probably tune into anyone in the world. Does it have to be a person or can it be a location? Where are you at right now? Do you, like, sense danger in advance or while it’s happening?”

He tamped down a laugh and raised a hand to stop the flow. “When everything dies down I’ll come see you, I promise. I should warn you though, someone broke the cocoon before the terrigen could finish, so I don’t know how much _honing_ we can do.”

Johnson frowned. “What do you mean someone _broke_ the cocoon? I didn’t think that was possible.”

“It’s their superpower.”

“Should I be worried?”

“No.”

Johnson was clearly worried anyway but decided to trust his assessment for now. “Well,” she said, standing up. “See me anyway. I’m a good transitioner. I bet there’s something we can do. And if not, well,” she shrugged one shoulder. “At least you’ve got a handle on things.”

She headed for the door.

“Director,” he said to her retreating back. “I’m sure I don’t have to remind you, but—“

“Don’t worry, Sir, I’ve already forgotten the location of this base that I know nothing about.”

The door fell shut with a soft click behind her.

He looked at the computer screen and then at his watch. Past his bedtime. Childcare did not do his stamina any favors.

He wondered as he closed up shop if he should move everyone to a new base in the morning. Not because he didn’t trust Johnson but because the more people who knew about this setup the greater the potential for trouble finding them. But trouble could find them anyway and if it did, he wanted Johnson on his side. Better not to make her scramble to find them if ever that became the case.

The corridor was dark and quiet. The kids had finally allowed themselves to be rounded up and put to bed. Nick fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 


End file.
